The straddle loader of the present invention is suitable for transporting containers and for stacking them on top of each other. The present straddle loader makes it possible to stack the containers, over which the loader is driven, to relatively great heights.
Straddle loaders by means of which containers can be stacked on top of each other in one or two rows are known. To produce higher stacks, full gantry cranes or other types of equipment are used; these are, however, relatively expensive.
German DE 197 14 210 A1 discloses a straddle loader that includes a lower frame and an upper frame and which can produce a tall stack by the operation of systems of scissors acting between the upper and lower frames. Each scissors has at least two parts, which are hinged together. This system suffers from the disadvantage, however, that the center of gravity of the container load can shift loading on the wheels to differ, depending on the height that the container to be transported has reached. In turn, the stability of the transporter and its driveability are impaired by these differences. The disclosed scissor design additionally suffers from the disadvantage that design measures must be provided to ensure sufficient stability of the loader.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a straddle loader which does not operate on the scissor principle and which will not suffer disadvantages with respect to stability when loads must be transported at different heights.